Trolley service to start in October

Beginning in October, visitors coming to Sanford on Amtrak Auto Train and SunRail can visit downtown by way of a trolley.

The trolley will also circulate downtown and be available for those wishing to visit various stops in the area.

The service will be provided by the Sanford Community Redevelopment Agency, which already provides van shuttle service between the rail stations and the Sanford Welcome Center. With the addition of the trolley, the the shuttle service would offer extended hours.

The trolley will run Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. When SunRail and the Auto Train are operating, the trolley route will include regular stops at those stations, otherwise the trolley will make a continuous loop throughout downtown.

The shuttle van will be used on Sunday and Monday from noon to 3 p.m.

The CRA has yet to approve a route for the trolley. Sonia Fonseca, the CRA Director, is currently talking with Seminole County officials about including the civil courthouse and the County Services Building at 1st Street and Mellonville Avenue on the route.

Rides on the trolley would be free. The CRA has annually paid Winston Singh Enterprises $79,000 to provide van shuttle service from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with the additional hours, the cost will increase to $128,000.

Winston Singh Enterprises will be responsible for purchasing and maintaining the trolley. The CRA will pay to wrap the trolley with appropriate Sanford graphics.

The shuttle service has been in operation for several years and is projected to bring 15,000 people to downtown by the close of the fiscal year at the end of September.

A couple of notes about the chart below. The zoo numbers are part of a partnership with the zoo and Winston Singh Enterprises. That serves will stop at the end of this month. The Saturday numbers reflect the few weekends when SunRail was operating on Saturdays.